Thermal spin-transfer torque driven by the spin-dependent Seebeck effect in metallic spin-valves

The coupling of spin and heat gives rise to new physical phenomena in nanoscale spin devices. In particular, spin-transfer torque (STT) driven by thermal transport provides a new way to manipulate local magnetization. We quantify thermal STT in metallic spin-valve structures using an intense and ult...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Nature physics 2015-07, Vol.11 (7), p.576-581
Main Authors: Choi, Gyung-Min, Moon, Chul-Hyun, Min, Byoung-Chul, Lee, Kyung-Jin, Cahill, David G.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
639/766/119/1001
Atomic
Classical and Continuum Physics
Complex Systems
Condensed Matter Physics
Demagnetization
Ferromagnetism
Lasers
Magnetization
Mathematical and Computational Physics
Molecular
Nanomaterials
Optical and Plasma Physics
Physics
Picosecond pulses
Seebeck effect
Spinning
Theoretical
Thermal energy
Torque
Transport
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Summary:The coupling of spin and heat gives rise to new physical phenomena in nanoscale spin devices. In particular, spin-transfer torque (STT) driven by thermal transport provides a new way to manipulate local magnetization. We quantify thermal STT in metallic spin-valve structures using an intense and ultrafast heat current created by picosecond pulses of laser light. Our result shows that thermal STT consists of demagnetization-driven and spin-dependent Seebeck effect (SDSE)-driven components; the SDSE-driven STT becomes dominant after 3 ps. The sign and magnitude of the SDSE-driven STT can be controlled by the composition of a ferromagnetic layer and the thickness of a heat sink layer. The spin-dependent Seebeck effect converts thermal gradients into spin currents. It is now shown that this effect can be used to drive spin-transfer torques on picosecond timescales using the heat currents created by ultrafast pulses of laser light.
ISSN:1745-2473
1745-2481
DOI:10.1038/nphys3355